A lighter load for the UK's largest warships

Pipex px®, now owned by NOV in the Fiber Glass Systems Business Unit, was awarded a significant contract by the Aircraft Carrier Alliance, a partnership of several global companies and the UK Ministry of Defense responsible for delivering new aircraft carriers to the UK Royal Navy. The prestigious contract involved supply of corrosion-resistant glass-reinforced epoxy (GRE) pipes and fittings for both Queen Elizabeth-class aircraft carriers, the HMS Queen Elizabeth and HMS Prince of Wales.

We installed more than 4.1 km (2.5 miles) of Bondstrand™ GRE pipework, including 2,000 GRE pipe spools, together with bulkhead penetration trims and more than 1314 m2 (4,311 ft2) of phenolic fiberglass-reinforced polymer (FRP) grating for the forward and aft islands and flight deck catwalks, on both vessels. The solution, which builds upon similar installations on the Royal Navy’s Type 45 destroyers and Astute-class submarines, is fully compliant with stringent UK Ministry of Defense technical specifications for use on naval ships.

Ultimately, our innovative GRE pipe systems and FRP structures provided significant weight savings for this flagship project, with a combined saving of almost 390 tonnes between the two vessels when compared with metallic alternatives. In addition, our advanced composite materials exceed the lifecycle of equivalent metallic piping by providing superior internal and external corrosion resistance.

History was made on June 27, 2017 as the HMS Queen Elizabeth embarked on her first sea trials. To learn more about our composite solutions, visit us here.